Friday, July 10, 2015

Laser

The US Navy often operates in the waters around the Middle East, including the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Iran. An Iranian ship pointed laser beams at a US Navy ship and a US Navy helicopter. The ship and helicopter did nothing about it.

In California it is illegal to point a laser at a police officer or at an aircraft. The reason that it is illegal is that the reasonable assumption is that the offender is pointing the laser to target a weapon. Modern military weapons often use a laser target designator to direct weapons to the target.

An Iranian ship pointing a laser at a US ship is an act of war, an act of aggression. It should be met with overwhelming firepower in return. There is no reason whatsoever to point a laser at a US ship unless intent to shoot them or intimidate them. Back in the old days, no nation would dare to do this to an American ship. We have lost our respect; that's the view from the Hysterical Right Wing.